Joshua 13:20

13:7-33 The land must be divided among the tribes. It is the will of God that every man should know his own, and not take that which is another's. The world must be governed, not by force, but right. Wherever our habitation is placed, and in whatever honest way our portion is assigned, we should consider them as allotted of God; we should be thankful for, and use them as such, while every prudent method should be used to prevent disputes about property, both at present and in future. Joshua must be herein a type of Christ, who has not only conquered the gates of hell for us, but has opened to us the gates of heaven, and having purchased the eternal inheritance for all believers, will put them in possession of it. Here is a general description of the country given to the two tribes and a half, by Moses. Israel must know their own, and keep to it; and may not, under pretence of their being God's peculiar people, encroach on their neighbours. Twice in this chapter it is noticed, that to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance: see Nu 18:20. Their maintenance must be brought out of all the tribes. The ministers of the Lord should show themselves indifferent about worldly interests, and the people should take care they want nothing suitable. And happy are those who have the Lord God of Israel for their inheritance, though little of this world falls to their lot.

And Bethpeor,.... So called from Peor, the idol of the Moabites, and where very likely there had been a temple built to the honour of it; over against this place was a valley, where Israel abode some time, Deuteronomy 3:29 , and Ashdodpisgah; of which see Deuteronomy 3:17, and Bethjeshimoth; of which see Numbers 33:49.

8. With whom—Hebrew, "him." The antecedent is evidently to Manasseh, not, however, the half-tribe just mentioned, but the other half; for the historian, led, as it were, by the sound of the word, breaks off to describe the possessions beyond Jordan already assigned to Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh (see on [190]Nu 32:1; [191]Nu 32:33; also see De 3:8-17). It may be proper to remark that it was wise to put these boundaries on record. In case of any misunderstanding or dispute arising about the exact limits of each district or property, an appeal could always be made to this authoritative document, and a full knowledge as well as grateful sense obtained of what they had received from God (Ps 16:5, 6).

Kirjathaim, where Chedorlaomer defeated the Emim, is probably to be found in the ruins of et-Teym, half an hour to the west of Medaba (see at Genesis 14:5 ). Sibmah ( Numbers 32:38 ), according to Jerome (on Isaiah 16:8 ), only 500 paces from Heshbon, appears to have hopelessly disappeared. Zereth-hashachar, i.e., splendor aurorae, which is only mentioned here, was situated "upon a mountain of the valley." According to Joshua 13:27 , the valley was the Jordan valley, or rather (according to Genesis 14:3 , Genesis 14:8 ) the vale of Siddim, a valley running down on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. Seetzen conjectures that the town referred to is the present ruin of Sar, on the south of Zerka Maein. - Beth-peor, opposite to Jericho, six Roman miles higher than (to the east of) Libias: see at Numbers 23:28 . The "slopes of Pisgah" ( Joshua 12:3 ; Deuteronomy 3:17 ): to the south of the former, on the north-eastern shore of the Dead Sea (see at Numbers 27:12 ). Beth-jeshimoth ( Joshua 12:3 ), in the Ghor el Seisabn, on the north-east side of the Dead Sea (see at Numbers 22:1 ). In Joshua 13:21 , the places which Reuben received in addition to those mentioned by name are all summed up in the words, "and all the (other) towns of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon," sc., so far as it extended over the plain.

These limitations of the words are implied in the context: the first in the fact that towns in the plain are mentioned in Joshua 13:17 ; the second in the fact that, according to Joshua 13:27 , "the rest of the kingdom of Sihon," i.e., the northern portion of it, was given to the Gadites. The allusion to Sihon induced the author to mention his defeat again; see at Numbers 31 , where the five Midianitish vassals who were slain with Sihon are noticed in Numbers 31:8 , and the death of Balaam is also mentioned. "Dukes of Sihon," properly vassals of Sihon; נסיכים does not signify anointed, however, but means literally poured out, i.e., cast, moulded, enfeoffed. The word points to the "creation of a prince by the communication or pouring in of power" (Gusset, s. v.).

Verse 10. - Zorah . The people of Zorah, or Zoreah, were the Zareathites of 1 Chronicles 2:53 ; it was the home of Manoah, and the native place of Samson (see Joshua 15:33 ; Joshua 19:41 . Other interesting references are Judges 13:25 ; Judges 16:31 ; Judges 18:2-11 ; Nehemiah 11:29 ). It belonged to the original allotment of Dan, and is constantly named in company with Eshtaol. Aijalon . The modern Jalo ; also originally belonged to allotment of Dan ( Joshua 10:12 ; Joshua 19:42 ; Joshua 21:24 . Other interesting references are Judges 1:35 ; 1 Samuel 14:31 ; 1 Kings 14:30 ; 1 Chronicles 6:66, 69 , 2 Chronicles 28:18 ). Hebron . One of the most ancient of cities still lasting, rivalling in this respect Damascus. It belonged to Judah and to its hill country ( Joshua 15:54 ; Joshua 20:7 ); it was about twenty Roman miles south of Jerusalem. Its original name was Kirjath Arba. In Numbers 13:22 it is said that it was built "seven years before Zoan in Egypt," but it is not said when Zoan was built. It now contains about five thousand population, but scarcely a tithe of them Jews. Its long stretch of history is full of incidents of interest, and is partially illustrated by the references that follow: Genesis 13:18 ; Genesis 23:2-19, 20 ; Genesis 35:27 ; Genesis 37:14 ; Numbers 13:22, 23 ; Joshua 10:36 ; Joshua 14:6-15 ; Joshua 15:13, 14 ; Joshua 21:11-13 ; 2 Samuel 4:12 ; 2 Samuel 5:5 ; Nehemiah 11:25 . 2 Chronicles 11:10